


her leather and his crown

by milkshakesandmurders



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, F/M, I fell in love with concept all over again, Northside Jughead, Southside Betty, Strangers to Lovers, but didn’t love aspects of the original, rewrite with changes, tags will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 01:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkshakesandmurders/pseuds/milkshakesandmurders
Summary: Betty is born and bred Southside. She’s leather, motorbikes and attitude.Jughead is new to the Northside of Riverdale. He’s extracurriculars, calculated thinking and the embodiment of good.OR....Life throws Betty and Jughead together at Pop’s; bad meets good, leather meets beanie and there’s bonding over milkshakes and burgers.





	1. the girl

**Author's Note:**

> *slinks out from the darkness*  
> I’ve been working on this rewrite for a little while now. I reread what I did write a few weeks back, and decided there was a fair amount of what I did write — that, to be honest, I didn’t like.  
> So... why not just rewrite it? I’m already really happy with it... and I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> (I’m actually working on a plot too.. WHAT? Yeah, crazy, huh?)

_Perfect (adjective) - entirely without any flaws, defects or shortcomings._

 

* * *

 

 

The Northside of Riverdale was _perfect_ ; with its tree lined streets, pristine shop fronts and Pop’s – it was leaps and bounds above what the Southside had to offer. The residents of the Northside of town had always associated the Southside with _broken, tainted, unworthy_. Between the rundown Sunnyside – which was far from sunny - trailer park, and the less than savoury Whyte Wyrm. In the eyes of the Northside; the Southside was a hindrance to Riverdale, and an eyesore.

But for one Southside resident, Betty Cooper; the Southside was _home_.

  
The Southside wasn’t perfect, and either was Betty.  
She was messy blonde hair, chipped black nail polish, and had the attitude of a girl with a _not-so-white-picket-fence_ upbringing.

She just also happened to be an ‘unofficial’ Southside Serpent; thanks to her mother, Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper, to the residents of the Northside, was the sworn enemy. The sworn enemy who almost, on her own, enticed the otherwise seemingly quiet Ghoulies to the surface.

It was Alice Cooper that brought the civil war to Riverdale.

But. It was also that same Alice Cooper that brought to the surface the shady dealings that both the Ghoulies and the Blossoms were partaking in.

Although, none of that mattered when the Northside chose to sweep their newly fractured world under the rug.

Betty never actually got involved with the Serpents and their rivals, but, if that’s what people chose to believe – she wasn’t about to correct them.

She enjoyed people believing she was dangerous. She welcomed the looks that people shot her way when she rode her motorbike through the sleepy town.

The leather jacket certainly helped, along with her bad-ass attitude, of course.

  
In the last few years, however, Betty had started coming into her own. In those years, she had been called many things by many people - dangerous, careless, headstrong and even the devil. It’s not like she wore those labels as a badge of pride – she is a Cooper above all else - but she’d be lying if she didn’t enjoy it, even a little.

Hal Cooper on the other hand... He didn't quite share the same sentiment regarding the Southside or the Serpents.

Over time, things had become strained between her parents. The arguments had become more frequent - the words that were exchanged had turned harsh and more hateful, and the inevitable silence that would linger in the sometimes too small trailer would be deafening.

  
The night that Betty had returned home from a night out with friends, to the news of her father leaving; she wasn't surprised.

Sure, Betty was upset. But, not surprised.

.

.

.

Sitting on the steps of her mother’s run-down trailer, cradling a now lukewarm beer in her hands, Betty stared up at clear sky - she couldn’t remember the last time she saw the stars twinkling so bright.

Palming her ripped black jeans with her free hand, Betty let her head drop between her shoulders with an exasperated sigh.

  
It had been four weeks since Archie Andrews broke her heart. And, He had already found a _nice_ Northside girl that his father, Fred Andrews, approved of.  
Betty shoved the idea of Archie cheating to the very bottom of her shoes, and rolled her green eyes at the thought of the boy shedding his Southside skin - for a girl. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw as her mind went into playback mode-

 

“ _You’re, what?” Betty didn’t really need to be told again, she heard his words crystal clear. It was like the words that had just left his mouth were floating around in front of her, and as hard as she had tried to grab each word and throw them away - the sentence just kept forming - laughing at her._

_“You’re breaking up with me?”_

_“Betty. Please, I need you to understand,” Archie was pleading, and Betty was certain of one thing, in the months of their whirlwind and less than conventional romance - Archie Andrews never pleaded, “Ever since your dad….”_

_Betty’s eyes and hand shot up, her heart racing. “Archie Andrews, choose your next words wisely..”_   
_she ignored the intense pain that was reverberating through her now clenched jaw. He shifted, slowly moving his body to look at the house behind him. She assumed it was probably to make sure his father wasn’t watching. Fred Andrews had warned Archie about girls like Betty. She overheard the stern talking to Archie had been given the night he had told Fred about a certain Betty Cooper, ‘The Cooper’s are bad news, they are trouble’._

_With her hands buried deep in her leather jacket pockets fiddling with the slightly frayed lining, eyes locked on boy standing just metres in front of her, she signalled that she was waiting for his answer._

_“Ever since he left Riverdale, your mum...“ He was hesitating, he was buying himself some time. “She’s been needing you a lot more.” One of Archie’s nervous traits -feet shuffling- was in full force right now, “I can’t even remember the last time I saw you, Betty.”_

_The soft and quick jab to the heart hurt. Betty couldn’t deny it. She had lost count of how many times she had sent him the, ‘sorry, Mum needs to me to stay home. something has happened, and she doesn’t want me to going anywhere.’ text message. More than she’d care to admit. Especially in the months after her father left._

_“I may not be the smartest or brightest kid at Southside High, but, I have football. And I’m good at that. With the whispers of talent scouts coming to Riverdale, I can’t - “_

_"Can’t afford to be distracted by your Southside Serpent girlfriend, right? Heaven forbid that turned up on your college application, right, Archie?” Betty was seeing red, her insides were fuming. Her fingertips inched closer to her palms. She refrained from digging in, instead, opting to press the pads of her fingertips to her palms. The smallest bit of pressure calming her down, if only slightly._

_“That’s not what I meant, Betty. You know that.” Archie ran his fingers through his trademark red hair. “I need to really start thinking about my future. I can’t keep playing second fiddle. I need to start looking out for me.”_

_Betty quirked an eyebrow, pressing just a little firmer. College applications were so far out of Betty’s mind, she had tried to see his point of view, but she simply couldn’t._

_“I can’t compete with the Serpents, Betty. And I sure as hell cannot compete with Alice Cooper.” Archie started making his way down the stairs toward her._

_Betty shook her head. “No, don’t come near me...” Moving back toward her bike._

_“I didn’t do this to upset you, you have to believe me.” Archie started to back up towards the steps, accepting her wishes for space. “I love you, Betty.”_

_Betty laughed. “You love me, Archie?”_

_He nodded, slowly._

_“That, right there, is bullshit. That is total fucking bullshit. You have always been a garbage liar.” She made her way toward the red haired teen who was noticeably more tense than earlier. “If you actually loved me, Archie Andrews,” Betty poked him in the chest, “we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now, I hope you know that.” Turning on her heel, she started walking back in the direction of her bike. Betty retrieved her helmet, and pulled it over her unruly blonde hair. She pulled the keys out of her jacket pocket and started the engine._

_In an impulsive rush of anger, and heartbreak - she spun the back wheel of her motorbike as a final ‘fuck you’ to Archie and a ‘well done’ to Fred Andrews; for letting his son believe that “Betty was just another Southside Serpent”._

Reaching behind her, Betty leant back. Letting out a series of deep inhales and exhales. Tapping her combat boots on the unstable step below, the familiar rumble of a motorcycle vibrated through the trailer. Swigging the dregs of her beer, and with a crooked smile, she stood and waited.   
Her friend rode into the trailer park, right on time. Her partner in crime. The ying to her yang. The peanuts at the bar to her beer. The ink to her paper. The girl that accepted her raw emotions. Her best friend. Her family.

Betty smiled as the waterfall of pink and brown hair fell from under the helmet.

“Betty!” Toni squealed, placing her helmet on the seat of her bike and hurrying over to Betty’s outstretched and welcoming arms. “I’ve missed you!” she cooed.

“I’ve missed you too, Toni.” Betty replied, her arms wrapping around her best friends neck. “It’s been too long.”

“We have soooo much to catch up on!” Toni grabbed Betty’s hand and pulled her up toward the trailer.

_That we do_ , Betty thought to herself, _that we do._

 


	2. the boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> meeting the Jones family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi :)
> 
> This is the revised version of this fic I started a while ago. Upon reading the second chapter; I felt it didn’t need any changes.
> 
> Enjoy X

**Caution (noun) - [informal] a person or thing that astonishes or causes mild apprehension** .

 

* * *

  
  
As the family truck rolled down the picturesque streets of Northside Riverdale, Jughead sighed. He glanced over at his younger sister sleeping soundly next to him. He had been anxious about this cross-country move. After many arguments with his father about it, Jughead accepted that FP’s mind had been made up and there was no room for change. Although, Jughead would never actually bring this up with his father; the move felt rushed. Having only taken a couple of months to orchestrate, Jughead couldn't help but feel that if it all fell over in a giant heap - he would be the one left picking up the pieces.  
  
Pulling his oversized headphones off, he couldn’t help the small smile that formed. There was no denying the place had a certain charm to it. Tree lined streets, family friendly looking suburban homes, and kids playing out in their front yards on a calm, sunny and relaxed Saturday afternoon. Maybe it wasn’t so bad.   
  
“We’re almost here, kids.” FP announced from the front seat.   
  
FP Jones. Jughead’s father. Recent divorcée and new owner of a motorcycle repair shop somewhere in town. Gladys and FP separated almost two years ago, but officially divorced eight months ago. It had been an amicable split. There were no arguments, no violence, and no hate. There was simply no more love between them. The divorce had been relatively painless. As far as Jughead was aware. Although, being a 16-year-old boy, he wasn’t sure how much his parents would actually tell him. For appearances sake though; it looked painless.   
  
They had both agreed that the two children would move to Riverdale with FP. They’d visit Gladys every month, and Gladys would travel –when she could- to Riverdale to spend big family holidays with them.   
  
Pulled from his thoughts, his little sister, Jellybean stirred from her slumber, murmuring about dinner and being hungry. Which was a Jones trait through-and-through; always being hungry.  
  
Jughead poked his sleepy sister, “we’re almost home, JB.”  
  
Jellybean sleepily snorted, “Home?”  
  
She may be sleepy, but sass never slept.  
  
“Yes, Jellybean. Home. Get used to it.” FP chimed in from the driver’s seat.  
  
She rolled her eyes, and turned to look at Jughead, who responded with a sympathetic smile.  
  
There was only a couple of years difference between the two siblings; Jughead being the eldest. But, aside from their raven hair –with the same wayward curl- and their ocean blue eyes; Jughead and Jellybean were worlds apart. Jughead was an introvert. He was striving for good grades, he was extra-curricular activities, he was independent, and he was few friends but close friends. Jellybean on the other hand was the total opposite; she was extroverted, she had more friends than Jughead would likely have in his entire lifetime, she enjoyed school –to a degree- and got the grades that she needed. She reminded Jughead of their mother. She was strong willed, argumentative, acted older than what she was -14 going on 21- and rarely stood down. Which was admirable, although, he knew, later on in life - it wasn’t always going to go her way, and that day would come as the rudest of awakenings.  
  
She had taken the separation and the divorce the hardest. Maybe it was to do with her age; Jughead was a male, but he wasn’t stupid. Jellybean was ‘at that stage’ in her life – changes, and whatnot. He couldn’t help but quietly laugh at the thought of FP sitting down with Jellybean to try and talk all things ‘woman’. He had an inkling, however, that Jellybean would probably end up teaching FP some things.  
  
It didn’t matter how different the siblings were, they worked. Jughead helped Jellybean and vice versa. He was lucky to have her. But, he would never actually tell her that.  
  
With the car beginning to slow, the big ‘For Sale’ covered with the most obnoxious of ‘Sold by’ stickers came into view - there was a collective silent sigh of relief that fell over the truck.  
  
“It’s nice, I suppose. It’s very-“  
  
“-Suburban,” Jellybean kindly finished her older brother’s sentence, “I can smell the cliché from here.”  
  
“Okay, JB. That’s enough. This is our home now. Whether you like it or not,” FP spoke sternly as they pulled into the quaint driveway and shut off the car, “we’ll unload some things,” making sure that he was looking at Jellybean, “then, we’ll head over to Pop’s. The real estate agent insisted we check it out. Apparently, their milkshakes are pretty darn good.”  
  
“I’ll need more than a ‘pretty darn good milkshake’ to enjoy it here,” Jellybean retorted.  
  
“The burgers and the cheese fries are good as well, JB. So, reel it in, yeah?” The annoyance at the youngest of the siblings was starting to show in FP’s responses. Jellybean shrugged, and started grabbing her things from the backseat, before moving to the back of the car.

.

.

.  
  
After the three Jones’ moved various bags and a couple of boxes from the car to inside the house, they were back in the truck making their way to the local diner.  
Jughead immediately fell in love; from the bright neon sign out the front, to the décor inside – he knew this was very much going to be his second home. The trio ordered burgers, multiple servings of cheese fries and a milkshake each. With casual banter bouncing around the table, a sign over on the counter caught Jughead’s eye. He slid out of the booth and walked over for a closer look.  
  
Help required; late nights and some weekends. Enquire with Pop Tate.  
  
“You interested, son?” came a voice from behind the counter.  
  
“Oh, ah yeah, maybe. When would you need someone to start?” Jughead questioned, moving to take a seat on the bright red barstool.  
  
“Tonight, tomorrow, the next day?” the old man chuckled, “as soon as possible. The warmer months are coming around, and I’m no spring chicken anymore.”  
  
Jughead nodded, “Do you need me to bring in a resume or anything? My dad, little sister and I have just moved here, so I’d have to look around for it.”  
  
The older gentleman shook his hand in the air, as if to wave such a silly question away, “No no, I like to think I have a pretty good sense of character, and you, young man, I like you,” once again, chuckling from the pit of his belly, “come in tomorrow evening for a couple of hours, and see how you go.”  
  
Jughead smiled, and stood up from the barstool, “Sure, I’ll be here,” as he was about to walk back to the booth, he turned around, “I’m Jughead, by the way.”  
  
“Pop Tate, but you can call me Pop. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jughead” Pop gave a small nod and went back to serving some new customers.  
  
Jughead slid back into the booth, reaching for his milkshake, not being able to contain the happiness that was forming in his stomach. Unsure of it was the delicious milkshake, too many cheese fries or the thought of starting something new, he smiled to himself.  
  
“Who was that? And why do you have a ridiculously goofy grin on your face right now?” Jellybean questioned with a mouthful of cheese fries.  
  
“That was Pop Tate, and I may have just landed myself a job, I have a trial tomorrow.”  
  
“Job? Starting tomorrow? What about the shop?” FP questioned, not even bothering to hide the hurt that laced his words.  
  
Jughead sighed, this was a conversation he had had with FP over the last month over and over and over again. He had lost count of how many times he had said no to working at the mechanics with his father. “Dad, don’t, please. We’ve had this discussion. I want to focus on school and grades. And I can’t do that if I’m working at the shop with you straight after school and every weekend,” taking another sip of his milkshake, “This will be strictly nights and an odd weekend here and there,” sinking back into the booth, “I’m sorry, dad. Maybe JB can help?”  
  
Jellybean’s eyes widened, “Oh, hell no.”  
  
Jughead laughed, and couldn’t help but notice the small chuckle his dad responded with.  
  
As the three new residents of Riverdale finished their food, they each bid farewell to Pop, thanking him for their food, and made their way to the truck to head to their new home.

.

.

.

  
Turns out, moving and sitting in a car for a few hours is actually exhausting. After arriving home, Jughead announced that he was tired and was heading to bed. He meandered up the stairs to his room, flicked the light on, and closed the door behind him. Finally, there was peace and quiet. Inhaling, he took in his new surroundings. The removalists weren’t going to be in Riverdale for another day, so they were making do with blow up mattresses and their necessities. As he went to get changed, there was a rumble down the street. It was getting louder; whatever it was, it was getting closer. He rushed over to his window, pushed it open, and knelt on the window seat. It was only quick, but the flash of blonde that was flying free under the helmet got his attention.    
  
He wasn’t sure where the bike had come from, or where it was going. But, wherever it was, they were in a hurry. Jughead shrugged, and pulled the window down and finished getting ready for bed.   
  
Tomorrow was going to be a busy day; between sorting out his room with what belongings he had with him, and ‘working’ at Pop’s in the evening; he was going to need as much as possible. Climbing into bed, it was only a matter of moments before his eyes fluttered closed and he was asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated!  
> follow me on tumblr -  
> milkshakesandmurders.


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